Originally published in the Moscow Food COOP News, October 2008
By Donna Mills, PPSEL Volunteer
This past July, members of Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning offered a chance for children in the area to experience a hands-on look and feel of Expeditionary Learning. The subject was local sustainable and organic agriculture. The two-week class was full of many opportunities for the children to get their hands into the local agriculture. They visited a local organic farm and learned how an organic farm is different from a non-organic farm. The children participated in a creating a plot at the Moscow Community Garden and after harvesting the garden, they gave their vegetables to Backyard Harvest. The project let them see food travel from the soil to the community. There were many wonderful activities that the children explored, including worm composting, honey bee pollination and a look at the connection between farming and wetland conservation. The experience culminated in a project in which the children painted a PCEI trailer to show what organic and sustainable gardening looks like. Watch for the newly painted PCEI trailer as it travels through town to work at local watersheds.
This experience exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. The eighth design principle, “The Natural World” says: “A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and teaches the important ideas of recurring cycles and cause and effect. Students learn to become stewards of the earth and of future generations.” What a fantastic experience the children participated in.
Please join us for a workshop "A day in the life of an Expeditionary Learning School,” October 11, 9-noon. This free workshop will be led by a school designer from Portland and will be held in the new west wing of the 1912 building. Please RSVP at http://PalousePrairieSchool.org. For more volunteer opportunities, contact nilspete@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label summer expedition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer expedition. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Celebrating the Summer 08 Expedition
Our two-week summer camp ended with a celebration on Aug 2 out on the PCEI campus. It was not really an "Expedition" in the full ELS sense, more a 'taste of an expedition.' Like an expedition each camp day was structured like an ELS school day and the children were engaged in an integrated curriculum related to sustainable agriculture, learning a range of things, from growing "FAST plants" to doing some work in the community gardens. The celebration Morris country harvest dancing.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Charter Award Potluck and Celebration, Aug 2
Come celebrate finally getting the Palouse Prairie charter approved and the completion of our summer camp adventure on sustainable agriculture. Kids have been planting and monitoring fast plants from seed-to-seed and working in the Community Garden and learning some dancing (busy two weeks)
Please invite a guest who might want to learn more about Palouse Prairie School
Children's program
A short program capping the 2-week summer experience will happen about 5:15.
Potluck about 6PM
- Grilled salmon (thanks to a Palouse Prairie donor).
- There are several vegetarian salads on the way, you are invited to bring more delicious items to share.
- Ice water will be provided.
- Plates, cups and silverware will come from the "Plate Project," so hopefully we will be light on waste.
Questions, email Nils Peterson
Friday, March 21, 2008
Palouse Prairie and Systems Change
Originally published in the April 2008 Moscow Food Coop newsletter
"We are satisfied with our model, it produces the results we want." That was Superintendent Donich's answer declining to collaborate with Palouse Prairie on an Expeditionary Learning model school in Moscow School District. That answer summarizes Clayton Christensen's argument in "Innovator's Dilemma" for why successful organizations don't adapt to new markets. Christensen teaches at Harvard Business School and studies why some of the best run companies in America declined or failed.
COOP members have been voting to change systems, like the agri-industrial complex, that are not sustainable and healthy. Your choices are reforming food systems and making businesses consider the whole and wholesome. The traditional school may not produce results you want because it doesn't assess the way it should. “This isn't a multiple-choice world," Wayne C. Johnson, VP for worldwide university relations at Hewlett-Packard (Wasley, P. 2008. Tests Aren't Best Way to Evaluate Graduates' Skills, Business Leaders Say in Survey, The Chronicle of Higher Education)
In March, Palouse Prairie charter school was awarded one of Idaho's first Vision grants, worth $20,000, to start a tuition free, non-religious, public school in Moscow, offering the integrated project-based curriculum called Expeditionary Learning. Our vision is to offer an inclusive, respectful and supportive learning environment that nurtures the individual as a thoughtful participant in our local and global community. The grant and a generous donation from Tri-State, will be used for school planning and to offer a summer expedition, giving Moscow hands-on with Expeditionary Learning.
We are appealing the Charter Commission's denial of our school's petition, networking in the community to develop facilities options, and moving forward to offer educational choice. You can vote for school change. A survey on our website will let you tell us what you have to offer. You can also learn more about us and the EL model.
"We are satisfied with our model, it produces the results we want." That was Superintendent Donich's answer declining to collaborate with Palouse Prairie on an Expeditionary Learning model school in Moscow School District. That answer summarizes Clayton Christensen's argument in "Innovator's Dilemma" for why successful organizations don't adapt to new markets. Christensen teaches at Harvard Business School and studies why some of the best run companies in America declined or failed.
COOP members have been voting to change systems, like the agri-industrial complex, that are not sustainable and healthy. Your choices are reforming food systems and making businesses consider the whole and wholesome. The traditional school may not produce results you want because it doesn't assess the way it should. “This isn't a multiple-choice world," Wayne C. Johnson, VP for worldwide university relations at Hewlett-Packard (Wasley, P. 2008. Tests Aren't Best Way to Evaluate Graduates' Skills, Business Leaders Say in Survey, The Chronicle of Higher Education)
In March, Palouse Prairie charter school was awarded one of Idaho's first Vision grants, worth $20,000, to start a tuition free, non-religious, public school in Moscow, offering the integrated project-based curriculum called Expeditionary Learning. Our vision is to offer an inclusive, respectful and supportive learning environment that nurtures the individual as a thoughtful participant in our local and global community. The grant and a generous donation from Tri-State, will be used for school planning and to offer a summer expedition, giving Moscow hands-on with Expeditionary Learning.
We are appealing the Charter Commission's denial of our school's petition, networking in the community to develop facilities options, and moving forward to offer educational choice. You can vote for school change. A survey on our website will let you tell us what you have to offer. You can also learn more about us and the EL model.
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